Many years ago these buildings were used for defense against enemies, they were residence of the monarch or a haven for those who retired from worldly life. Now these majestic and beautiful buildings delight the eye of tourists around the world.

September 29, 2012

Olavinlinna (Swedish: "Olofsborg") or
St. Olaf's Castle is a 15th century castle located on a rocky island between the
lakes Haapavesi and Pihlajavesi connected to the Bay of Lake Saimaa in northern
Finland in Savonlinna Provincial Cham.

Construction of the
castle was begun in 1475 by the Danish Knight Erik Axelsson Tott, who had
engaged in strengthening the Vyborg Castle. Erik Axelsson Tott decided that the
powerful fortification should be build to protect the strategically important
Savo region. The castle was supposed to repel Russian attacks from the east and
to guarantee the control of the Savo region for the Swedish Crown. Initially,
the castle was namedNyslott (Swedish:
New Castle), then it was named Olavinlinna, Castle of St. Olaf, in honor of the
Catholic saint of the 11th century, especially in Scandinavia revered as the
patron saint of the Knights.

September 27, 2012

Castel Nuovo (Italian:
"New Castle") is a medieval castle in the city of Naples, southern
Italy. The castle is also known as Maschio Angioino, named to honor King
Charles I of Anjou (Charles I of Naples), by order of which it was built.

Before the accession of
Charles I of Anjou to the throne in 1266, the capital of the Kingdom of Naples
was Palermo. But there was a royal residence in Naples called Castel Capuano.
However, when the capital was moved to Naples, Charles of Anjou ordered the
construction of a new castle, not far from the sea, built to house the court.
The work, carried out by French architects Pierre de Chaulnes and Stone
Angincour began in 1279 and was completed three years later in 1282. From the
very beginning it was called "Castrum Novum" to distinguish it from
the older castles dell'Ovo and Capuano.

September 23, 2012

Caernarfon Castle is
one of the most impressive castles of King Edward I of England. The castle is
located in the town of Caernarfon in
Gwynedd, north-west Wales. It is surrounded by the waters of Menai Strait,
which separates the islandAnglesey from
North Wales.

The first fortifications at Caernarfon were
built by the Romans. Their military settlement (Castrum), which they called
Segontsy, located on the outskirts of modern Carnarvon. Settlement was by the
River Seiont, which flows into the Strait of Menai. The city's name is derived from
the Carnarvon Roman settlement. Welsh town was known as «y gaer yn Arfon»,
which means "the stronghold in the land over against Môn"; Môn is the
Welsh name of the island of Anglesey. Little is known about the fate of
Segontium and its associated civilian settlement after the Romans departed from
Britain in the early 5th century.

Hunyad Castle was built by King Charles I of
Hungary, after his visit in Temesvár (Timişoara), Kingdom of Hungary (now
Romania), over the site of an older Roman fortification in 1307. The King
decided to set up residence there. The building, probably built by Italian
builders, was finished in 1315 and in 1316 the King was already established in
the new castle, where he lived almost eight years. The last document signed by
him in Timisoara dated June 15, 1323. That fortress had an oval shape, and the
only defensive tower was located in the north wing, while on the south side of
her closed brick wall.

In 1409, the castle and the surrounding land
were given to John Hunyadi's father, Voyk, by Sigismund, king of Hungary, as
severance. As one of the most important properties of John Hunyadi, the castle
was transformed during his reign. It became a sumptuous home, not only a
strategically enforced point. John Hunyadi implemented two phases of
restructuring and expansion of the castle and its surroundings. The first phase
took place in 1441-1446.And during that
time it was built seven towers: four round and three triangular. The second
stage took place in 1446-1453. During that time, the chapel was laid, as well
as it was built the main hall and the south wing with outbuildings.

After John's death, the castle passed to his
son Matthias (Matthias Corvinus). Under his order was built loggia in the north
wing (also known as the "Loggia Matthias"), completed a chapel and
continued work on decoration the castle. By that time castle has become a rare
facility in Eastern Europe, combining the elements in its appearance late
Gothic and early Renaissance.

Severe destruction of the castle Corwin were
caused by a fire in 1854, which effectively destroyed the monument of
architecture. Restoration work was carried out about a hundred years. The
current castle is the result of a fanciful restoration campaign undertaken
after a disastrous fire and many decades of total neglect. It is a large and
imposing building with tall, peaked and diversely colored roofs, towers and
myriad windows and balconies adorned with stone carvings. The castle fully
corresponds to fabulous views of castles. The current look of the castle bears
little resemblance to the one that was in the reign of John Hunyadi, however,
despite all the changes and reconstruction remained intact the hall of honor
"Neboisa", which means "Do not be afraid" in Serbian
language. This room is kept the same shape as six centuries ago.

In the castle yard, near the 15th-century chapel,
there is a well 30 meters deep. According to the legend, this fountain was dug
by twelve Turkish prisoners to whom liberty was promised if they reached water.
After 15 years they succeeded and produced water, but their captors did not
keep their promise. They say that after that inscription appeared on the well:
"you have water, but not soul".

Hunedoara is a mandatory destination of those
who travel Romania on the trail of Count Dracula. It is said that the legendary
Vlad III of Wallachia (commonly known as Vlad the Impaler) lived here for a
while, and as a prisoner. Because of these links, the Hunyad Castle is sometimes mentioned as a source of inspiration
for Bram Stoker's Castle Dracula.

Interiors in its original form to this day have
not been preserved, but the castle is a museum, which exhibits a great deal to
tell us about medieval life. This are archaeological finds, ancient books,
decorative arts and arms. In the halls regularly holds temporary exhibitions
and concerts, including early music. In February 2007, Hunyad Castle played
host to the British paranormal television program Most Haunted Live! for a
three-night live investigation into the spirits reported to be haunting the
castle. Results were inconclusive.

September 10, 2012

Castle of Coca or Castillo de Coca is
considered to be one of the best castles in Spain. The castle is located in the
city of Coca (Roman "Cauca"; birthplace of Roman Emperor Theodosius)
in the province of Segovia, which lies in flat and wooded lands of the center
of Spain, in the autonomous community of Castile and Leon.

It is an excellent
example of the Gothic and Mudéjar styles. It's made up of two square baileys
separated by a passageway. Both show polygonal towers at the corners. The
castle is surrounded by a fortress double wall of width of 2.5 meters with lots
of corridors and doors, as well as a deep dry moat. It is considered to be the
highest example of brick military architecture with Mudejar filigree work.

September 6, 2012

Muiden Castle, also known as Muiderslot, is one
of the better known castles in the Netherlands. It is located at the mouth of
the river Vecht, some 15 kilometers southeast of Amsterdam, in Muiden, where it
flows into what used to be the Zuiderzee. It is a relatively small castle,
measuring 32 by 35 metres with brick walls well over 1.5 metres thick. A large
moat surrounded the castle.

Material: Brick Start of construction:1370Condition: opened to the publicWebsite: www.muiderslot.nl

The history of the Muiderslot begins in 1280,
when Count Floris V of Holland built a stone castle on this site to control the
estuary of the river Vecht into the former Zuidersea. The River Vecht was the
trade route to Utrecht, one of the most important trade towns of that age. The
castle was used to collect a tribute on the traders. In 1296 Floris was
abducted by rebelling noblemen and was held prisoner in Muiden Castle. They
fled under the threat of a siege in the direction of Utrecht, taking Floris with
them. During their escape they murdered Floris with their swords. Taking into
account the death of Count Floris, and the fact that in the castle was not his
immediate successor (son of Count Floris was in England), the castle was
besieged by Willem van Mechelen, bishop of Utrecht. After seizing the castle he
destroyed it.

September 1, 2012

Carcassonne is a fortified French town in the
Aude department, of which it is the prefecture, in the former province of
Languedoc. It is divided into the fortified Cité de
Carcassonne and the more expansive lower city, the ville basse. Carcassone was
founded by the Visigoths in the fifth century, though the Romans had fortified
the settlement earlier.

First signs of settlement in this region have
been dated to about 3500 BC, but the hill site of Carsac – a Celtic place-name
that has been retained at other sites in the south – became an important
trading place in the 6th century BC. The Volcae Tectosages fortified the
oppidum.